1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable electronic game system and more particularly to a stand-alone electronic bingo game apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bingo is game of chance in which each player""s chances of winning depends upon numbers drawn at random. Players compete using bingo cards prepared with a design of five rows of five squares each for a total of 25 squares. The letters B-I-N-G-O is displayed above the grid, with each letter aligned with a vertical column of squares. A two-digit number generally from 1 to 99, but preferably from 1 to 75, appears in every square of the bingo card except the center square, which is designated as a free play. The game also uses a central source for generating random numbers. The random numbers are drawn from a pool of bingo balls. The number of balls corresponds to the rang of numbers available on the bingo card. On each ball are found letters and numbers corresponding to those printed on the bingo cards. Each ball includes one letter from the word bingo and one number from the range of numbers printed on the bingo card From a conventional air-ball machine or a box, a caller chooses numbers at random one ball at a time and announces the letter and number appearing on the ball The players with numbers matching the number on the ball called, marks off the number being called using a ink marker called a xe2x80x9cdauberxe2x80x9d. In the basic form of bingo, as soon as five numbers are covered in a straight line either vertically, horizontally or diagonally, the person with the covered numbers calls out xe2x80x9cbingoxe2x80x9d. Each player that attains xe2x80x9cbingoxe2x80x9d in a game wins a prize. At the end of each game players turn in their marked cards and must purchase new cards to play another round. Players generally have an opportunity to play more than one bingo card Often players may attempt as may bingo cards as they have table space available with the idea that the more cards played increases the player""s chances of winning bingo. Bingo cards are often sold prepackaged in groups of various denominations. Players can purchase these packaged cards as an added convenience.
With the growth in popularity for the bingo game, more challenging changes have added to the bingo game. First, the basic winning patterns of aligning five numbers on a card either horizontally, vertically or diagonally have been supplemented by a number of complex winning patterns. Some of these winning patterns are as follows:
Postage Stamp where winning numbers are found only in one corner of the array;
Four Corners where winning numbers are found in every corner of the array;
Small Diamond where four winning numbers are found encircling one cell in the array;
Block of Nine where winning numbers are found in a three by three array forming a block of nine numbers;
Crazy T where winning numbers are aligned in a horizontal line and a vertical line to form a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shape;
Large Diamond where winning numbers are aligned diagonally encircling a small diamond;
Small Picture Frame where eight winning numbers are found encircling one cell in the array; and
Crazy L where winning numbers are aligned in a vertical line and horizontal line to form an xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shape.
In addition, some bingo halls are now using xe2x80x9cwild numbersxe2x80x9d to further add to the complexity of the game. The xe2x80x9cwild numbersxe2x80x9d are typically called out at the beginning of game play. A xe2x80x9cwild numberxe2x80x9d is identified by the caller before it is drawn. The caller also identifies what characteristic will make the number wild. For example, if the number is even then all even numbers may be marked. Or for example, all number s sharing the same first digit may also be declared as wild. Other, criteria may be used as well, but it is generally the bingo hall that determines the rules for each game.
Wild card numbers and the winning patterns generally change for each bingo game. In order to achieve xe2x80x9cbingoxe2x80x9d during any game, the players must know the rules and apply the rules properly during each called number in order to achieve bingo. A problem occurs with players accustomed to playing large numbers of bingo cards. The complexity of tracking several winning numbers for each game combined with the large number of cards played, often increases the chances that a players will miss a possible winning match.
Electronic bingo devices have been developed to help alleviate the problem of tracking large numbers of bingo cards over various patterns; however many of these devices are not well suited for complexities of game play available. While other devices which are well suited for such game play are complex and require computer operators to load the game information before use. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,600 issued to Richardson which describes a gaming board which includes a communications port used in an electronic bingo system. A computer operator transfers individual game player cards and winning pattern information to the gaming boards from a base station computer. This method has to be performed on each gaming board used in play. The result is added cost and labor to the bingo hall. Another problem with the electronic bingo system is that each game board must be individually connected to the base station in order to be connected. This causes added delay as each player must wait for the operator of the base station to configure their system. Thus, the need exists for a low cost, easy-to-use bingo device that is capable of adapting to the various levels of game play.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a low cost and easy-to-use portable electronic bingo device adaptable for use in a variety of bingo type games.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable electronic bingo device that is easy to configure for various bingo games.
It is an advantage of the present invention to manually configure the bingo device for game play.
It is a feature of the present invention to include a plurality of game keys, each comprising specific bingo game information such as winning patterns and the desired number of bingo cards, that when inserted manually into the bingo device configures the bingo device for game play.
In accordance with the objects, advantage and feature of the present invention, an electronic bingo device is provided with a manually received game key to aide players in the game of xe2x80x9cbingoxe2x80x9d. The game key activates the device for game play and includes winning pattern information, the number of games to be played in the hall and a predetermined number of bingo cards to be selected from a set of bingo cards stored in the memory of the bingo device. A variety of game keys are available in the bingo hall, where the game keys are sorted according to the number of bingo cards to be selected from memory.
The electronic bingo device is comprised of a display permitting the simultaneous presentation of up to four bingo cards. A keyboard provides a user interface for entering numbers as the numbers are called out during play, changing the displayed information and updating the winning patterns as the game play progresses or a new game is started. An audible alarm is included to indicate when a card has won bingo. These various user interfaces are controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) under the control of software. The electronic bingo device is equipped with a memory containing bingo cards within the range of 1,000 to 10,000 unique numerical arrangements of bingo cards. The allocation number, provided by the game key, identifies the number of cards allocated to the player at random from the list bingo cards stored in the device""s memory. The game, when purchased for use during the evening, is fully assembled and operated when the game key is inserted into the electronic bingo device. The game is manually inserted into the device and includes all of the necessary information to join in rounds of bingo. Upon power-up, the game cards are selected from the list of bingo cards unique to that particular portable device. The winning pattern information and number of games information is used by a control program in the portable bingo device to configure the device for that evening""s bingo play.
When in use, the game device will display up to four cards at a time during game play. In a xe2x80x9cbest modexe2x80x9d display, the cards are arranged in descending order according to the cards which are most likely to complete a winning pattern. The user may scan through the bingo cards in play using the keyboard. The user will enter numbers as they are called out by the bingo-hall announcer into the bingo device. As each number is entered, the device will check and compare that number against the game cards in play during that game. The bingo cards will then be checked against the winning patterns and the order of the cards will be adjusted if in xe2x80x9cbest modexe2x80x9d to display bingo cards having the greatest likelihood of winning. Other features and advantages of this invention will be made apparent upon review of the drawings and detailed description of the invention.